11 fan theories about who Rey is in the 'Star Wars' universe

One of the biggest questions "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" left unanswered was the identity of Rey, the young scavenger from the desert planet of Jakku.

Since 2015, "Star Wars" fans have come up with a lot of theories on who the young girl can possibly be. And the speculation goes way beyond whether Rey's a Solo or a Skywalker (or even a Kenobi).

With "The Last Jedi" upon us in December, the question will certainly come back to the forefront. INSIDER searched through the many theories we could find about the mystery girl - some are pretty feasible and some of them are truly out there. We'll have to wait until "The Last Jedi" or beyond to find out whether any of these theories pans out.

Rey is Luke Skywalker's daughter.

Luke, what have you been up to in the ~30-year gap in between "Star Wars" episodes 6 and 7?
Disney/Lucasfilm

Let's start off with one of the biggest theories. If you've been following anything "Star Wars"-related, you've heard this one by now.

How the theory goes: Rey is Luke's daughter. She's a natural pilot, just like the other Skywalkers, is naturally strong in the Force, and Luke's lightsaber calls out to her in "The Force Awakens." At the film's end, it looks as if Luke instantly recognizes Rey and has a connection with the young girl.

Why people don't buy it: Some fans think this is too obvious of an answer for Rey's heritage. Then there's the fact that Rey doesn't seem to be aware of Luke Skywalker at all when Finn mentions him.

Rey is Han Solo and Leia's daughter.

Did they really have only one child?
Disney/Lucasfilm

Another big theory is that Rey is the daughter of Han and Leia, making her Kylo Ren's sister.

How the theory goes: Before Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, the accepted "Star Wars" canon included one of many novels that featured Han and Leia's twin children named Jaina and Jacen. The one twin, Jacen, fell to the dark side. Though the novelizations are no longer canon, many believe Lucasfilm may be loosely adapting Jaina and Jacen as Rey and Kylo Ren.

As well, Rey and Han seem very similar. Not only were the two finishing each other's sentences in "The Force Awakens," but Rey also had a knack for mechanical engineering similar to Han.

Why people don't buy it: It's extremely strange that Leia and Han never mention having a daughter in "TFA." Sure, maybe they never speak of her because they thought they lost her long ago, but in the novelization the two refer to Rey as no one special but "the girl."

She's Obi-Wan Kenobi's granddaughter.

Say what?
Lucasfilm

The last major theory that has been growing on us in the past few months is that Rey is a Kenobi.

How the theory goes: There's a lot of time in between "Star Wars: Episode III" and "Episode IV," and some think Obi-Wan may have had a love interest after he went into hiding. There's some evidence to support this since he falls for Duchess Satine in the animated series "The Clone Wars." A lot of people also point out that she has an accent similar to Obi-Wan's.

Fans think there are a lot of hints to Kenobi and Rey's connection. For instance, when Rey first comes in possession of Luke's lightsaber she hears a multitude of voices including Obi-Wan's (both Ewan McGregor and Alec Guinness). Sure, Anakin's lightsaber may have called to Rey, but Obi-Wan was in possession of it the longest. People also see her use of a Jedi mind trick eerily similar to the delivery of Kenobi throughout the "Star Wars" saga.

Why people don't buy it: Kenobi doesn't seem like the kind of person to break the Jedi code for a woman. It would also be weird for the series to skip over an entire generation of the character's history.

Rey is a Skywalker and a Kenobi.

Is there a Kenobi daughter out there somewhere who met up with Luke?
Lucasfilm

How the theory goes: Others have combined the Kenobi and Skywalker theories. Maybe Kenobi had a daughter who ended up with Luke Skywalker and Rey is their daughter.

Why people don't buy it: Again, it's hard to imagine that Obi-Wan Kenobi would go against the Jedi code to pursue a relationship and have a child.

5/

Rey is Anakin Skywalker.

This is the start of the many strange theories fans have regarding Rey's parentage.
Disney/Lucasfilm

Yes, you read that right. One of the most bizarre theories claims Rey is Anakin reborn.

How the theory goes: Rey is a reincarnation of Anakin's spirit. It explains why she's so naturally strong in the Force, is a good pilot (like Anakin), and has Force visions (again, like Anakin). One fan on YouTube notes how Anakin wanted to find a way to cheat death to save his wife, Padmé. While he didn't save Padmé, maybe he did find a way in death to come back.

The theory says this is why Rey resembles Anakin's mother, Shmi, and why we can hear Vader's breathing in her Force flashback.

Why it's probably not the case: This theory is really out there. A lot of people are actually open to the idea, however, for its originality. The real question is whether Disney and Lucasfilm would really go down the reincarnation road. While the screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan has said "Episode VIII" will be "some weird thing," this seems a bit too weird to believe.

6/

Rey is Obi-Wan reincarnated.

"I think Rey is Obi Wan's spirit reborn more so than a relative. It would give bigger weight to Obi Wan's line to Vader that he will become more powerful than he can imagine. Luke and Obi Wan learned how to bring him back to life like in the story that the Emperor told Anakin. Thus, Luke will be training Rey who is Obi Wan's spirit."

The problem with this theory: If Rey really is Obi-Wan reborn, why would she be hearing multiple versions of his voice in her head along with that of Yoda and Palpatine? We think we have a better shot at seeing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the new movie as a Force ghost than seeing this theory come true.

7/

Rey is the daughter of a new character played by Benicio del Toro in "The Last Jedi."

This Hasbro toy is the best representation we have of Benicio del Toro in "The Last Jedi."
Kirsten Acuna/INSIDER

How the theory goes: Rey is the daughter of Benicio del Toro's mysterious new character, now known only as DJ, in "The Last Jedi."

The Redditor Darth_Hodor believes the actor is playing a version of a character from the animated show "Star Wars: Rebels" called Ezra Bridger.

"The theory I've come up with is that Ezra fall to the dark side. He joins forces with Snoke and together they start manipulating the Jedi starting with Ben Solo. Foreseeing this, Luke hides Rey from her father, and in retaliation Ezra, through or with Kylo Ren, destroy the Jedi Academy. Luke flees and Del Toro is left without knowing where his daughter is hidden."

How believable the theory is: Honestly, this isn't a terrible theory. In April 2015, "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams told a crowd at the Tribeca Film Festival that Rey's parents were not in the movie. But of course, Abrams has been known to misdirect audiences before. Of course, that means it can be numerous other people, too, but DJ is definitely a contender.

8/

She's the granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine.

Does Palpatine have any kids out there?
Lucasfilm

How the theory goes: A theory on Medium points to Rey's similar fighting style and her rage. It's also pointed out that her character's theme music is similar to that of the Emperor's. Rey is most likely too young to be Palpatine's daughter. He died before she was born, but it's possible that, if he had a child, Rey could be his granddaughter.

Why people believe it: Some fans think there are similarities in the theme music for Rey and Palpatine. The "Star Wars" composer John Williams is known to tie together the theme music of characters who are related. You can listen to a mix here and decide for yourself. But others have thought Rey's theme also shares similarities to Darth Vader's Imperial March.

Rey is the real chosen one, willed to life like Anakin.

Is Rey actually the chosen one?
Lucasfilm

How the theory goes: Back in "Episode III," fans noticed that Yoda suggested Anakin may not have been the chosen one spoken of in a Jedi prophecy.

Some think Snoke is Darth Plagueis (read more on that here) and that he willed Rey to life just as he willed Anakin to life through an immaculate conception. Others think Luke helped will Rey to life. After the First Order came to power, Luke went into hiding and went in search of the Jedi temples. There, it took him about a decade to figure out how to bring about another Jedi.

Why people don't buy it: To will a Force-sensitive being to life, someone would need to manipulate Midi-chlorians, organisms in all living things. When a being has a significant number of Midi-chlorians, the being will be Force sensitive.

The problem here is that fans scoffed at the idea of the Midi-chlorians when they were introduced in the "Star Wars" prequel series. It's tough to imagine Disney would want to bring up something that upset fans of the franchise, especially when it looks as if the company is trying to focus on catering to the fans. J.J. Abrams, the "Force Awakens" director, had even addressed he wasn't adding Midi-chlorians to Episode VII. It doesn't seem as if they would suddenly start.

10/

Rey is Darth Vader's granddaughter.

Rey, I am your grandfather.
Screenshot/Empire Strikes Back

How the theory goes: Anakin had another child during his reign as Lord Vader, and Rey is his granddaughter.

The problem with this theory: It's not a foreign concept to think Vader could have fathered other children. But if he willingly had other children, he probably would have known about them and would have tried to bring them to the dark side, as he attempted with Luke. If he never knew about them, that would make more sense. After the death of Padmé, Vader's first love, however, it's difficult to imagine Skywalker having a relationship with anyone ever again.

11/

Rey is Darth Vader's great niece.

Could Vader have more family than he ever knew about?
Disney

How the theory goes: Anakin's mother, Shmi, had another child with her husband Cliegg Lars, and Rey is the great niece Vader never knew about.

The problems with this theory: Not only was Shmi older and probably beyond child-bearing years when she met Lars, but she also died in "Star Wars: Episode II." If she had any other children, we would have seen them either in the prequel trilogy or in the original trilogy with Luke Skywalker on Tatooine under the care of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen.

Plus, Anakin was apparently born of an immaculate conception. If neither Shmi nor Lars is Force-sensitive, then any child of theirs probably wouldn't be strong in the Force either.

12/

Rey is the daughter of Captain Phasma and Poe Dameron.

"TFA intentionally holds back Captain Phasma, and plays up the pseudo sibling theory of Ren and Rey. I am predicting that even Rey will think or mistake Leia as her mother and that Phasma will kill her and then reveal she is Rey's Mother. "No, I...am your Mother!" Can you almost see it? The father possibly being Poe Dameron who had a likely tale of being thrown from the crashed tie-fighter."

Why this seems far-fetched: The user goes on to say Phasma is the child of Leia and Luke Skywalker. That's where the theory fell apart for me. Also, it's not really clear why/how/when this supposed hookup with Poe Dameron would come about. (While he's taken prisoner at the start of "The Force Awakens"? Weird.)

Another theorist believes Rey could be the daughter of Luke and Phasma.

13/

Rey is the daughter of Captain Phasma and Luke Skywalker.

Every female character in "Star Wars" doesn't need to be related.
Disney/Lucasfilm

People really like their Captain Phasma theories. Since "Game of Thrones" actress Gwendoline Christie plays the First Order Stormtrooper, fans believe her role has to have a greater significance.

How the theory goes: In the old "Star Wars" canon, Luke eventually falls for and marries Mara Jade, an assassin turned Jedi originally sent to kill him as a last wish by Emperor Palpatine. Some think Lucasfilm has taken some liberties and have made Phasma into the new Mara Jade and that Phasma may have been either Luke's wife or a one-time romantic interest.

Why people don't buy it: Too much of this doesn't make any sense. As two fans point out on Quora, Stormtroopers aren't allowed to have families (not that rules have ever stopped anyone before), there are no hints at this whatsoever, and it seems silly to make the few women in "Star Wars" all related to each other.

14/

Rey is a clone.

Fans dressed as Stormtroopers at the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in Shanghai in 2015.
AP Photo

How the theory goes: One "Star Wars" theorist believes Emperor Palpatine could have cloned Luke after he decided he wouldn't go to the dark side.

"I've heard that maybe she is a clone of Luke Skywalker by his severed hand. Emperor Palpatine could have got that hand (and) got the DNA," the popular "Star Wars" theorist Mike Zeroh said in a YouTube video from March.

Near the start of "The Force Awakens," Kylo Ren notes there's still the ability to make a clone army if necessary, so we know clones can pop up in future films.

The problem with this theory: Honestly, this is just really out there.